The most useful monitoring tool Pannaway’s Broadband Access Manager (BAM) can do is a DELT (Dual-Ended Line Testing). That gives you a graphical representation of Hlog, Quiet Line Noise, & SNR for upstream and downstream. We use those results and then compare them to what they should look like. These tests can help determine any outside frequency interference such as AM radio stations. You can then determine what frequency range is interfering with the adsl train-up and disable those bins in the adsl stream.

To be honest, I have yet to have that work for me, but I’m aware it’s a possibility. When a test result doesn’t look good, it’s usually something in the house such as a filtering or other CPE issues.

 
Other monitoring tools are; initializations of the modem (re-trains), CRC errors, train-up duration, and so on.

 
The reason we’re looking into purchasing an ADSL test unit to emulate a dsl modem. That way we can clip on right at the demarc. to isolate the inside wiring. Right now we are using an inverter, a spare modem, a 25 foot line cord with alligator clips, and a 3/4 -ton service truck to test. Necessity is the mother of invention!

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What are some of the top problems you find on a DSL loop??  Does it still boil down to a wet cable or a frogged pair??  Cut cable??  Or does it often happen to be the DSL equipment itself??  Thanks for info.

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It's very, very rarely the DSL modem, though our techs change them out too quickly to appease the customer and assuage their doubts.  Most of the time it's a missing splitter, poor connections, or a poor drop near the customer premise.  If it's the drop we switch to another pair, and document the old (bad) pair.

Frank

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The most useful monitoring tool Pannaway’s Broadband Access Manager (BAM) can do is a DELT (Dual-Ended Line Testing). That gives you a graphical representation of Hlog, Quiet Line Noise, & SNR for upstream and downstream. We use those results and then compare them to what they should look like. These tests can help determine any outside frequency interference such as AM radio stations. You can then determine what frequency range is interfering with the adsl train-up and disable those bins in the adsl stream.

To be honest, I have yet to have that work for me, but I’m aware it’s a possibility. When a test result doesn’t look good, it’s usually something in the house such as a filtering or other CPE issues.

 
Other monitoring tools are; initializations of the modem (re-trains), CRC errors, train-up duration, and so on.

The reason we’re looking into purchasing an ADSL test unit to emulate a dsl modem. That way we can clip on right at the demarc. to isolate the inside wiring. Right now we are using an inverter, a spare modem, a 25 foot line cord with alligator clips, and a 3/4 -ton service truck to test. Necessity is the mother of invention!

Thanks for the suggestions!

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As mentioned here, the broadband access platform can provide some very helpful information about the status of the line.  Every time a DSL customer calls about connection issues, it's the first tool I refer to, and I review the last 8 hours.  Since we use PPPoA/PPPoE, I also review the RADIUS entries to see how many times the modem authenticated.  I can usually match those up to error stats.

Frank

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Very cool!! Please tell us more about the video project. I know this is the ADSL forum, but I am curious about the INS video project.

At the RIITA expo I didn't run into any vendors with ADSL2+, but I'm sure some where there. 

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INS is working with Quative (a subsidiary of the Kudelski Group) to deliver an MPEG-4 based product that supports both SD and HD.  They are encoded using Modulus receivers and will be delivered over a GigE to the telcos.  The encryption for that product is currently using Nagravision's encryption/conditional access product.  The STB currently being tested is the "Prime" STB, more often called Martini.

There were two vendors with ADSL2+ products: Occam and Calix.

Frank